The invention relates to a method for engaging at least one aerial target by means of at least two firing units linked to form a firing group, therein monitoring of the airspace for searching for the at least one aerial target is performed by the individual firing units, thereafter an assessment of the threat is performed on the basis of the search, and an aerial target is assigned to each one of the at least two firing units for engaging it, The invention further relates to a firing group of at least two firing units, as well as to the utilization of the firing group for defending a target to be protected.
Within the scope of the present specification, firing units are understood to be units for engaging mobile targets, in particular but not exclusively, rapidly moving aerial targets, which can arrive at any arbitrary altitude. Such firing units customarily consist of a fire control unit and at least two weapons, which can be single-or multi-barrel guns and/or launching devices for guided missiles. The term firing group should be understood to consist of two or more firing units, which are employed within the same time period for monitoring the same or adjacent areas of the airspace and for engaging enemy aerial targets therein.
Fire control units customarily used as components of such firing units, have one or several antenna systems, which are suitable for different monitored areas and can be alternately employed for the search, acquisition and tracking of aerial targets to be engaged. One firing unit customarily has always only a single active antenna in use. Therefore only a defined angular space can be monitored, i.e. for example an area close to the ground at a low altitude, or an area at high altitude, and furthermore, the angular space monitored in this way is relatively small. This can have the result that aerial targets, for the engagement of which the weapons of the firing unit would have sufficient capacity, cannot be detected by the associated fire control unit. The engagement of such aerial targets then fails, not for a lack of usable weapons, but for the lack of sufficient monitoring of the airspace. Searching and acquisition of an aerial target by means of the fire control unit of a neighboring firing unit does not bring any improvement, since this fire control unit is not usable for controlling the weapons of the first firing unit because systems for transmitting the appropriate signals are lacking.
Although a better utilization of the capacity of the weapons of the firing unit could be achieved if, with the same number of weapons, the fire control unit either were to be designed in such a way that its antennas intended for monitoring different angular spaces could be used simultaneously, or that the firing unit would be equipped with several fire control unit. But both options are comparatively expensive, since the fire control units are mostly more cost-intensive device than the weapons.
An improvement of monitoring the airspace and engaging aerial targets is achieved with the linkage of several firing units to form a firing group. Such a linkage can be achieved in ways of different intensity, or respectively in different degrees. With the known firing groups consisting of linked firing units, the linkage is provided such, that one selected firing unit, or respectively the fire control unit of this firing unit, is leading, i.e. performs a so-called xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d function and takes on the preponderant portion of the calculations, while the remaining firing unit, or respectively their fire control units, are assigned a so-called xe2x80x9cslavexe2x80x9d function. The firing unit with the xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d function has a tendency to require more extensive electronics than the firing units with the xe2x80x9cslavexe2x80x9d functions. This means that either all fire control units must be sufficiently equipped for performing xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d functions when required, or that it is necessary to create differently equipped firing units, basically one xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d unit and several xe2x80x9cslavexe2x80x9d units per firing group. Such over-equipping is avoided in the first case, but tactical flexibility is lost to a large extent, since inter alia the position of the xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d unit and the xe2x80x9cslavexe2x80x9d units are fixed for at least a defined time period. Although tactical flexibility is achieved in the first case, the expense of apparatus is comparatively large since, with firing units which are all equipped the same, the firing units performing a xe2x80x9cslavexe2x80x9d function are obviously over-equipped, so to speak. A further important disadvantage of firing groups composed of several firing units, one of which exercises the xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d function, lies in its vulnerability. If the firing unit with the xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d function fails, either because of an internal defect or as a result of the effects of enemy weapons, the linkage breaks down. This breakdown of the linkage cannot be repaired in firing groups with differently equipped firing units, since there is no redundancy of the failed firing unit, or respectively its fire control unit. With firing units which are overall equipped in the same way, another firing unit, a redundancy so to speak, could take over the xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d function, but it would be necessary to take appropriate and expensive measures to cause this transfer of the xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d function.
It is therefore the object of the invention to find a solution for the problem of linking the firing units of a firing group in such a way that improved airspace monitoring and utilization of the capacities of the weapons is achieved, wherein simultaneously the outlay for the systems, which are additionally needed by the individual firing unit, and the vulnerability of the firing group should be minimized.
This object is attained
An essential advantage of the firing group in accordance with the invention lies in that its vulnerability is less in comparison with the vulnerability of conventional, linked firing units with a xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d unit and at least one xe2x80x9cslavexe2x80x9d unit, because in spite of their coordinated activities, the firing units are equal and autonomous. If one of the firing units fails, the size of the firing group is reduced, but is functioning basically remains the same. Since no firing unit is a xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d unit, there can be no failure of a xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d unit. But in their deployment, the same advantages are obtained as with the previously known firing group with xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cslavexe2x80x9dunits, since the firing units linked in accordance with the invention are coordinated in respect to their functions. This is achieved in particular in that, for the assessment of the threat to a common object to be protected, the search results of all search antennas of all fire control units are considered, and for the selection of a aerial target to be engaged by a firing unit this assessment of the threat as well as the respective state of the weapons are considered.
The linkage in accordance with the invention of the firing units into a firing group, in which the firing units are equal and autonomous, but act in coordination when deployed, permits a more efficient engagement of aerial targets than would be the case when deploying a firing group with the same number and types of firing units, but without a linkage of the firing units, and without an increase of the vulnerability, such as must be accepted in connection with conventional firing groups with a xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d unit and several xe2x80x9cslavexe2x80x9d units. On the one hand, this is because of an increase and complementation of the monitored airspace by the fire control unit, and on the other hand because of full utilization of the capacity and optimization of the deployment of the weapons. The total of the search area of the fire control units of the firing group in accordance with the invention is not greater than the total of the search areas of the individual fire control units, and the total of the weapons of the firing group does not exceed the sum of the weapons of the individual firing units. In spite of this, the total efficiency of the firing group is much higher than the total efficiency of the individual firing units. There are several reasons for this: by means of a suitable arrangement of the different fire control units and the suitable selection of the search antennas employed by the individual fire control unit, it is possible in this way to avoid zones which are dead to search, but can be reached by the weapons. Furthermore, the deployment of the weapons of a firing unit is not limited to engaging the aerial target detected by its individual fire control unit, it is possible instead to engage aerial targets which are detected by other fire control units, as long as they are within the range of the weapons, because of which it is prevented that a weapon is idle, or respectively is not deployed toward a reachable aerial target simply because cause it has not been detected. Moreover, it is prevented that one aerial target is detected by two fire control units and is engaged by the weapons of both firing units, while another aerial target, which would be detectable by at least one of the two fire control units, is not engaged at all.
Thus, while a firing group of firing units which are not linked to each other only constitutes a firing unit aggregation of a correspondingly reduced fighting value, and a conventionally linked firing group with xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cslavexe2x80x9d units is comparatively vulnerable or very expensive, the firing group in accordance with the invention with autonomous, coordinated firing units constitutes a firing unit combination of comparatively little vulnerability and increased fighting value. In addition to the firing units themselves, it is only necessary to provide a signal transmission system for the transmission of signals between the fire control units, wherein the signal transmission can take place in any arbitrary manner, for example by means of fixed or mobile lines as well as via wireless communications systems. The firing units linked in this way are basically autonomous in regard to monitoring the airspace, but in spite of this they act in a coordinated manner. In assessing the threat, each fire control unit also takes into consideration the search results of the antenna systems of the remaining fire control units, and the selection of the aerial targets to be engaged takes place in respect to the total threat on the one hand, and on the other hand to the deployability of all weapons.
Linked firing groups can be formed by mobile, i.e. field antiaircraft weapons, as well as fixedly installed, i.e. fortification antiaircraft weapons, as well as by a combination of field antiaircraft and fortification antiaircraft weapons, if required.
Already existing firing units can be designed in the sense of retrofitting in such a way that they can be linked with the same or other firing units.
Control of the individual weapons takes place electronically, as is customary, wherein the appropriate electronic unit is essentially arranged in the respectively associated fire control unit, although generally the individual weapons also have an electronic weapons device. Control of the firing units linked into the firing group also takes place automatically, with the exception of certain functions such as, for example, the selection, or respectively the deployment of antennas, which takes place manually, if required. Since, as just mentioned, every fire control unit has its individual electronic unit anyway, it is advantageous to build the electronic system of the firing group on the basis of these electronic units. The hardware of the electronic units should basically be sufficient for the firing group, so that it merely needs to be complemented by required software. However, it is also possible to expand not only the signal transmission system as an additional system, but also to provide a central electronic element, which should partially or exclusively constitute the electronic system of the firing group.
As explained above, the purpose of the linkage of the firing units into firing groups is to respectively deploy the fire control units and weapons in each threat situation in such a way that the altogether best possible engagement of the aerial targets results. This requires the making of appropriate decisions regarding the adaptation of the deployment of the weapons. The appropriate decisions can only be sensibly made if there is a consistency regarding the basis for the decisions. With conventional linked firing groups with a xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d unit, obtaining the required consistency is comparatively problem-free. With the firing group in accordance with the invention, which does not have a xe2x80x9cmasterxe2x80x9d unit, but only autonomous, basically equal firing units, without an elaborate permanent data exchange the required consistency can only be reached if the decision-making takes place simultaneously, i.e. if it is only initiated after the respective bases for the decision have been made available by a data transfer between the fire control units. The data transfer is based on the partial decision bases available to the respectively other fire control units. This means that each-fire control unit uses the information available to it for decision-making only when this information is also available to the remaining fire control units.
The antenna systems, or respectively sensor systems of the individual fire control units have a decisive importance for the efficient utilization of the firing group in accordance with the invention. Generally, each fire control unit has an antenna system with several antennas, in particular a search antenna unit, or respectively search sensor unit, and a tracking antenna unit, or respectively a tracking sensor, are provided in most cases. The search antenna system is used for detecting aerial targets and can be designed in such a way that it permanently rotates or changes its azimuth. The tracking antenna unit is used for the acquisition and tracking of already detected aerial targets, it follows the aerial target in azimuth and elevation and is used for ranging the position of the aerial target.
Each search antenna unit has at least one search antenna. Various antenna types are known, which in particular differ in that the areas of the airspace which can be covered by them are different. For example, there are antennas for areas near the ground, or respectively lower altitudes, and antennas for higher altitudes. With fixedly installed fire control units it can be sufficient, depending on the topographic situation, to provide a search antenna unit with only a single search antenna, which is specifically matched to the requirements. For achieving tactical flexibility in connection with the use by mobile, or respectively field antiaircraft firing units in particular, it is preferable to equip the fire control units with search antenna units which have several search antennas which can be differently deployed, wherein alternatively one of the search antennas can be deployed.
The deployment of the respectively suitable search antenna from the group of search antennas available in the search antenna unit takes place in accordance with tactical considerations, for example by the person assigned to the fire control, or automatically in cooperation with an early warning system. To ease the making of the selection of the suitable search antenna unit, certain facts, for example the topography of the surroundings of the firing group and the weapons available to the enemy, or respectively their incoming altitude, can already be stored in the form of basic or marginal conditions.
As already mentioned, firing units linked into firing groups in accordance with the invention are deployed for engaging aerial targets, although basically such linked firing groups could also be used for engaging ground targets. The aerial targets to be engaged can be, for example, aircraft, drones or missiles.
An essential purpose of the firing groups in accordance with the invention is to defend important friendly objects against aerial attacks by the enemy. Classification of the objects to be protected in accordance with their value, or respectively their need for defense, is based on strategic, tactical and/or political viewpoints. Generally the firing groups themselves are considered to be important objects.
It can basically be assumed that all weapons of a firing group, even those of linked firing groups, engage the same aerial target, since generally the fire control units cannot perform the ranging of several targets simultaneously or quasi-simultaneously. If the number of aerial targets to be engaged equals the number of firing units, each firing unit will generally engage one aerial target. If the number of the aerial targets to be engaged is less than the number of the firing units, at least a portion of the aerial targets will be engaged by more than one firing unit. If the number of the aerial targets to be engaged is greater than the number of firing units, each firing unit will engage one target, while one or more of the aerial targets remain unengaged, namely those, which have been classified as the least threatening, until one of the aerial targets which can be engaged is neutralized or can no longer be engaged.
The basis for the classification of the aerial targets in accordance with the threat they pose to the object to be protected is constituted on the one hand by a theoretical threat definition, which is stored in the electronic device, and on the other hand by the data determined by the fire control units regarding the aerial targets in the monitored airspace and their movements. However, in particular in connection with stationary firing groups, it is possible to include in the threat definition the vulnerability of the friendly objects to be protected to the threats by the aerial targets, for example aerial targets which threaten a firing group or a nuclear power plant can basically be classified as particularly threatening.
Further details and advantages of the invention will be described in greater detail in what follows by means of exemplary embodiments of firing groups, making reference to the drawings.